Draft-gear and buffing apparatus.



,No. 75,068. Patented Dec. 2, I902.

P. HIEN.

DRAFT GEAR AND BUFFING APPARATUS.

(Application filed m 28, 1902.)-

(No Model.) '2 Sheets-8heot I.

a a I 3 2 J V 4 J4. 225112661866, 7 lhumw No. 715,068. Patented Dec. 2, I902.

P. men.

DRAFT GEAR AND BUFFING APPARATUS.

Application filed July 28, 1902.) (No Model.) 2 Sheers-Shaet 2-.

@KWW y m UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILLIP HIEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRAFT-GEAR AND BUFFING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 715,068, dated December 2, 1902.

Application filed July 28, 1902. Serial No. 117,244. (No model.)

1P0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PHILLIP HIEN, a citizen of the United States. residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Draft-Gear and Buffing Apparatus; and I declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates in general to apparatus for yieldingly resisting a strain or gradually absorbing a shock, and more particularly to a draw-gear and butting apparatus for gradually transmitting to the draft-timbers of a car the sudden pull or push exerted upon the draw-bar in starting and stopping a train.

A comparatively limited relative movement between the draw-bar and draft-timbers of a car is permitted, and in order that the sudden shocks in pulling and buffing may be absorbed or gradually transmitted from the coupler to the car-frame it is necessary that apparatus should be interposed between the draw-bar and draft-timbers of a car capable of exerting a great resistance while its members are being relatively moved the available longitudinaldistance. Heretoforeapparatus for the purpose mentioned has comprised springs or friction-surfaces or a combination of springs and friction-surfaces, the arrangement being such that a sudden pull or push upon the draw-baris dissipated or gradually communicated to the draft-timbers of a car through compressing interposed springs or relatively moving the friction devices. In order to secure a combined spring and frictional resistance, it has previously been necessary, so far as I am aware, to employ frictional devices separate from and in addition to a spring or springs.

The primary object of my invention is to provide in an apparatus of the same general character as that described and claimed in my pending application, Serial No. 116,187, filed July 19, 1902, for transforming a sudden relative movement between adjacent parts to a gradual movement, a telescopic radially-rigid interior core, around which are supported a plurality of elements capable when subjected to compression of individually exerting a gradually-yielding spring resistance and simultaneously generatinga frictional resistance.

A further object of my invention is to provide in an apparatus of the character disclosed in my copending application, above referred to, a telescopic radially-rigid interior core around which are supported a series of resilient elements capable of first exerting a torsional resistance when subjected to compression and subsequently exerting a combined frictional and spring resistance by the relative movement between adjacent elements.

A further object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of the character referred to which will be simple in construction, inexpensive iu manufacture,and etficient in operation.

The embodiment of my invention herein disclosed consists, generally described in an interior telescopic radially-rigid core,around which are supported expansihle and compressible spring-rings having inclined engaging friction-surfaces, the core and springrings being interposed between followers upon which the strain is exerted or the blow is received and by which the same is communicated to the friction-rings, and thereby hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same is illustrated as embodied in a convenient and practical form, and in which- Figure 1 is a plan view thereof; Fig. 2, a central sectional view on line 2 2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a View similar to Fig. 2, showing the positions of the parts when the apparatus has been subjected to compression; Fig. 4, an elevational view of the central part of the interior core, and Fig. 5 an elevational view of one of the end portions of the interior core.

Similar reference characters are used in the several figures of the drawings to designate similar parts.

- the core.

Reference characters A and A indicate followers, which support a radially-rigid telescopic core and between which are interposed frictional spring-rings, the latter surrounding and being supported by the core. The follower A is provided with a hollow cylindrical projection A which fits within a circular flange D of the adjacent end portion D of the telescopic core. The follower A is provided with a hollow cylindrical portion A, similar to the portion A on the follower A and projecting toward the same. A circular flange D forming part of the other end portion D of the core, surrounds the projection A on the follower A The central part E of the core is provided with circular flanges extending in opposite directions, one of which, E surrounds the flange D on the end portion D of the core, while the other, E, surrounds a circular flange D projecting from the other end portion D of the core. The central part of the core is provided with a radially-projectingflangeE. Alongitudinalribeisfixed to the inner surface of the central part E of the core, the opposite ends of which respectively engage notches formed in the adjacent circular flanges of the end parts D and D of For instance, the end e of the rib projects into the notch d formed in the flange D while the end 6 of the rib 6 projects into the notch (1 formed in the flange D. A rib d is secured to the inner surface of the flange D of the part D of the core and extends in alinement with the notch d The rib 61 engages a slot a formed in the cylindrical projection A on the follower A. A key d is fixed to the inner surface of the flange D on the part D of the core and extends within a recess a formed in the cylindrical portion A of the follower A The keys e, d and d are located in longitudinal alinemen t, as are also, consequently, the slots d d, a and a. The keys and slots prevent the parts of the core and the followers from rotating relatively, but permit a telescopic movement between the parts of the core and followers, owing to sufficient space being left between the opposed vertical surfaces of the adjacent parts.

Acompressiblespring-ringGsurrounds the circular flange D the opposite ends of the ring being separated by a stop d (see Fig. 5) on the exterior of the flange D A similar open compressible ring surrounds the circular flange D on the opposite end portion D of the core, a stop don the exterior of the flange D being located between the ends of the ring. Another compressible open ring 0 surrounds the cylindrical flange E of the central portion E of the core, a stop 6 formed on the exterior of the flange, being interposed between the ends of the ring. An open compressible ring 0 similar to the ring 0 surrounds the circular flange E of the central part E of the core, the ends thereof being separated by a stop 6 on the exterior of the flange E The rings 0' and O are provided with frictional surfaces inclined in the same direction, the inclination of the former, however, being less with respect to a horizontal line than is theinclination of the latter. The rings 0 and C have frictional surfaces inclined in the same direction, the inclination of the former being the same as the inclination of the friction-surface on the ring 0, but less than the inclination of the surface on the rings (J and C The inclination of the surface of the ring 0 is less than that of the surfaces 0 and c on the rings 0 and 0 but is the same as that of the surface 0 on the ring 0 An expansible open ring 13 surrounds the ring 0 and is provided with a friction-surface I), having the same angle of inclination as the surface 0 on the ring 0. A circular flange 0t, fixed to the follower A, extends within the ring Band is adapted to engage the adjacent inclined surface thereof. An expansible open spring-ring 13 surrounds the compressible ring 0 and is provided with an inclined surface 12 adapted to engage the surface 0 on the ring C A circular flange a projects from the follower A within the springring B the adjacent surfaces of the flange a and the ring B being inclined, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. Stops a and a, fixed to the followers A and A respectively, extend between the ends of the respective rings B and B An expansible open ring B surrounds the compressible ring C and is provided with an inclined friction-surface b adapted to engage the surface 0 on the ring 0 The ring B also surrounds the end portion D of the core, said portion ofthe core and the ring B being provided with inclined cooperating surfaces. A stop d projects from the inclined exterior surface of the part D of the core and extends between the ends of the ring B An expansible ring B similar to the ring B surrounds the compressible ring 0 and is provided with an inclined frictional surface I), adapted to engage with the inclined surface 0 on the compressible ring 0 The ring B is also provided with an inclined surface which engages a correspondingly-inclined surface 61*, formed on the end portion D of the core. A stop (i fixed to the portion D of the core, projects between the ends of the ring B. The stops a and d extend in the same direction, while the stops (1 and a preferably extend in an opposite direction, so that the openings in the adjacent rings are staggered. The stops for the compressible rings are also located one hundred and eighty degrees from each other and ninety degrees from the stops for the expansible rings, thereby causing the openings in the adjacent compressible rings to be also staggered. Both the compressible and expansible rings are preferably slightly spirally disposed, as indicated in the figures. The inclined surfaces of the end expansible rings which engage the end compressible rings are preferably inclined at a more acute angle to the horizontal than are the inclined surfaces on the the central expansible rings which engage the inclined surfaces on the central compressible ring.

The operation of the embodiment of my invention above described is as follows: When the followers A and A are moved together, due, for instance, to the relative movement between a draw-bar and the drafttimbers of a car, the rings are forced together and the camber or slight spiral twist removed. A continuation of the movement of the followers toward each other compresses the end compressible rings 0 and 0 through the engagement between the inclined surfaces 0 and c with the inclined surfaces 1) and b on the end expansible rings. The end expansible rings B and B are then expanded until they engage the central expansible rings B and B The expansible rings 13 and B are consequently moved toward the radial flange E of the central part E of the core and compress the central compressible rings C and 0 through the engaged frictional surfaces 0 c, 11 and b, respectively. When the rings 0 and C have been compressed, a continuation of the movement of the followers toward each other causes the central expansible rings B and B to be expanded until they engage the radial flange E, and during such expansion of the rings 13 and B the expansible rings 1) and B are further expanded. It is therefore evident that a resistance is first afforded by the camber or spiral twist of the rings, and such resistance may be sufficient to absorb the strain occurring during the ordinary running of a train, so that the expansion and contraction of the rings and the consequent frictional resistance are only brought into action when a sudden or violent shock occurs, as in the starting or stopping of the train. When a sufficient force is exerted upon the followers, the end inner rings afford spring resistance and also frictional resistance through the relative movement between their inclined surfaces with the inclined surfaces on the end expansible rings. Subsequently the end expansible rings are expanded and forced into engagement with the central expansible rings whereupon the retardation is produced by the compression of the central compressible rings and the expansion of the central expansible rings and the friction generated by the relative movement between the inclined engagingsurfaces. The telescopic connections between the followers and the parts of the core permit the followers to approach each other sufficiently to bring into action in the serial manner above described the several pairs of compressible and expansible rings.

In the operation of the embodiment of myinvention herein disclosed frictional resistance is not merely generated by the relative movement of the engaging inclined surfaces on adjacent rings, but friction'is also generated during the compression of the inner rings by the relative movement of the surfaces thereon which engage the radial surfaces on the core. In other words, when the inner rings are compressed from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3 the surface on each ring which engages the corresponding surface on the radial projections surrounding the sections of the core creates a frictional resistance. When the force which has moved the followers together is discontinued, the tension of the rings effects the return of the parts to their normal positions through the engaged inclined surfaces.

It is apparent that my invention is adapted for a variety of uses in addition to that of serving as a draw-bar and buffing apparatus, and while I have described more or less precisely the details of construction I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as I contemplate changes in form, the proportion of parts, and the substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or render expedient without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I do not claim the invention herein disclosed generically, inasmuch as the generic invention common to this application and to my prior application, Serial No. 116,187, previously referred to, is claimed in said prior application; but I do claim in this application only the features of construction not disclosed in my said prior application.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the characterdescribed,the combination with a series of resilientelements having inclined frictional surfaces, of a telescopic core surrounded by and supporting said elements whereby when said series of elements are subjected to compression they are relatively moved and thereby placed under tension.

2. Inadevice of the characterdescribed,the combination with followers, of a telescopic core supported by said followers, a series of resilient elements having inclined frictional surfaces interposed between said followers and surrounding said core.

i 3. In a device of the character described,the combination with aseries of resilient elements of graduated resisting capacity having inclined frictional surfaces, of a telescopic core surrounded by and supporting said elements.

a. In adevice of the character described,the combination with a series of resilient rings having inclined frictional surfaces, of atelescopic core surrounded byandsupportingsaid rings.

5. In a device of the character described,the combination with an expansible resilient ring, of a compressible resilient ring, said rings having inclined engaging frictional surfaces, and a core surrounded by and supporting said rings.

6. In a device of the character described,the combination with followers, of a telescopic core supported by said followers, a series of expansible resilient rings having inclined frictional surfaces, and compressible resilient rings surrounding said core and supported thereby and having inclined frictional surfaces engaging the frictional surfaces of the expansible rings.

7. In a device of the character described,the combination with followers, of a telescopic core supported by said followers, a series of spirally-disposed expansible resilient rings having inclined frictional surfaces, and a series of spirally-disposed compressible resilient rings surrounded and supported by said core and engaging the inclined frictional surfaces on the expansible rings.

8. In a device of the character described,the combination with followers, of a telescopic core supported by said followers, of a series of expansible rings of graduated resisting capacity having inclined frictional surfaces,and aseries of compressible resilient rings of graduated resisting capacity having inclined frictional surfaces engaging the frictional surfaces of the eXpansible rings.

9. In a device of the character described,the combination with followers, of a telescopic core supported by said followers, of a series of resilient elements having inclined frictional surfaces the angle of inclination of the surfaces being graduated whereby when said followers are subjected to compression the engagement between the inclined frictional surfaces of the elements serially places the same under tension.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination with followers, of acore comprising a plurality of parts longitudinally movable with respect to eachother the end parts being supported by and movable longitudinally with respect to said followers, a series of resilient elements having engaged inclined frictional surfaces interposed between said followers and surrounding said core.

11. In a device of the character described, the combination with followers having cylindrical portions projecting toward each other, of a core comprising end portions surrounding and supported by the projections on said the combination with a series of resilient ele ments, of a series of non-resilient elements supported adjacent to said resilient elements, said resilient and non-resilient elements having engaging frictional surfaces at an angle to the axis of theresilient elements whereby when said resilient elements are flexed the said frictional surfaces thereon are moved relatively to the engaged frictional surfaces on said non-resilient elements.

13. In a device of the character described, the combination with a series of compressible spring-rings, of a series of non-resilient elements supported adjacent to said rings, said rings and non-resilient elements having engaging frictional surfaces whereby when said rings are compressed the frictional surfaces thereon are moved relatively to the engaged frictional surfaces on said non-resilient elements.

14. In a device of the character described, the combination with a series of resilient elements, of a series of non-resilient elements supported adjacent to said resilient elements, and a core surrounded by and supporting said elements, said resilient and non-resilient elements having engaging frictional surfaces whereby when said resilient elements are flexed the said frictional surfaces thereon are moved relatively to the engaged frictional surfaces on said non-resilient elements.

. 15. In adevice of the character described, the combination with a series of compressible spring-rings, of a series of plates supported adjacent to said spring-rings, and a core surrounded by and supporting said compressible rings and said plates, said rings having frictional surfaces adapted to engage and to be moved relatively to said plates when compressed.

16. In a device of the character described, the combination with a series of expansible spring-rings having inclined frictional surfaces, of a series of compressible spring-rings having inclined frictional surfaces engaging the inclined frictional surfaces of the expansible rings, a core surrounded by and supporting said compressible rings, and plates carried by said core, said compressible rings having frictional surfaces adapted to engage and move relatively to said plates when the rings are compressed.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

PHILLIP I-IIEN.

Witnesses:

GEO. L. WILKINSON, O. O. CUNNINGHAM. 

